Light snows giving city materials, time

Public Works spent about $250,000 on snow removal in 2010-11. This year? Only about $50,000.

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By Taylor Muller/@TaylorMullerKDE

Kirksville Daily Express - Kirksville, MO

By Taylor Muller/@TaylorMullerKDE

Posted Feb. 4, 2013 at 12:00 PM

By Taylor Muller/@TaylorMullerKDE

Posted Feb. 4, 2013 at 12:00 PM

For the second consecutive year, below average snowfall in Kirksville has allowed Public Works some relief from its annual snow-plowing and clearing duties.

Instead of the crews’ typical duties of salting, plowing and clearing show they have been repairing potholes and doing asphalt work, taking advantage of the fact temperatures had been above freezing for most of December and January.

But the boon is two-fold for Public Works with the decreased demand for man hours and materials during the winter and a decreased wear and tear on roads, equating to less necessary repair work in the spring.

“We’d been able to do our street repairs until it got really cold,” said Public Works Director John Buckwalter. “We did that well into December. Normally, you wouldn’t expect to do that.”

Normally, in fact, the area would have seen nearly four times as much snow as it has, with Kirksville receiving about eight inches of snow this far into the season.

Buckwalter said Public Works plans and budgets for an annual snow fall of about 30 inches.

Through January, Public Works has spent about $49,000 in materials and man-hours to combat the light snowfall. Last year, with about 7.5 inches of snow during winter, Public Works spent about $54,500.

For comparison, as recently as the 2010-11 winter season, Public Works spent about $240,500 for snow and ice removal and about $235,000 in 2009-10. Both those years experienced more than 40 inches of snow and ice.

And so with less snow and less demand for materials and labor hours, Public Works has diverted some of its material funds to help fund the storm water drainage project in Bear Creek 9 and also help pay for asphalt and curb work.

With fewer plows on city streets and less wear and tear on the concrete joints, Public Works will spend less time this spring repair pot holes and cracks.

“Each time you lower that blade and it hits the concrete, that causes damage. We try not to plow as much as we can,” Buckwalter said.

And despite Punxsutawney Phil’s ground hog prediction of an early spring, Buckwalter said the season is typically not over until at least the end of March. He and the Public Works crews anticipate being called out at least one more time this winter and estimated future snowfall of at least four inches.